0838 Eastern Daylight TimeThe Federal Aviation Administration alerted NORAD
[North American Aerospace Defense Command: the military organisation which monitors the skies over the United States and Canada] that American Airlines Flight 11 had been hijacked.

1238GMT

AUDIO/VIDEO

0846At the height of New York’s morning rush hour American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center.

0853F-15 fighters scrambled to deal with American Airlines Flight 11 are airborne, having taken off from Otis Air National Guard Base in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

1246GMT

0903News cameras trained on the burning tower captured the horrifying view of another passenger jet, United Airlines Flight 175, crashing into the south tower of the Trade Center causing a devastating explosion. It had left Boston for Los Angeles carrying 65 passengers and crew. It became clear that the catastrophe was not an accident.

At the same time, FAA notified NORAD that United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles had also been hijacked.

0937American Airlines Flight 77, carrying 64 people from Washington to Los Angeles, crashed into the Pentagon in Washington. The nerve centre of the US military burst into flames and a section of the five-sided structure collapsed. F-16 fighters were still 100 miles away when the plane crashed. President Bush authorised fighters to shoot down any other aircraft that threatened targets in Washington.

0950All airports across the US were shut down and all commercial flights grounded.

1350GMT

0957Passengers on United Flight 93 over Pennsylvania began a revolt. A hijacker at the controls attempted to roll the plane and pitch it up and down, in order to disrupt the assault. At 1002, the hijackers were about to be overcome. One of them can be heard on the cockpit voice recorder shouting to his co-hijacker: "Pull it down! Pull it down!"

1357GMT

0959The south tower of the World Trade Center suddenly collapsed sending a massive pall of smoke across Manhattan. Many emergency workers and firefighters were crushed, as well all those who could not get out of the tower.